Compact radar offers GPS-free, high-precision Earth monitoring

Source: interestingengineering
Author: @IntEngineering
Published: 8/20/2025
To read the full content, please visit the original article.
Read original articleNASA, in collaboration with aerospace company Aloft Sensing, has developed HALE InSAR, a compact, lightweight radar system designed to monitor minute changes in Earth's surface with millimeter precision. Unlike traditional radar instruments, HALE InSAR operates without GPS by utilizing advanced positioning algorithms, enabling it to function accurately in remote locations. Weighing under 15 pounds and consuming less than 300 watts, the system employs a flat phased-array antenna that electronically steers its radar beam, eliminating the need for bulky mechanical components. This innovation allows it to be deployed on high-altitude, long-endurance (HALE) platforms such as stratospheric balloons and aircraft that can remain aloft for extended periods and revisit the same locations frequently.
HALE InSAR leverages Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar (InSAR) technology to detect subtle terrain, snowpack, and volcanic deformations, offering potential early warnings for natural disasters like volcanic eruptions and landslides. The instrument has already been tested
Tags
energyradar-technologyGPS-free-navigationEarth-monitoringsynthetic-aperture-radarhigh-altitude-platformsremote-sensing